TORONTO – It probably will happen sooner than later, and when it does, three someones won’t like it. Devil coach Larry Robinson expects this to be a three-line series.
The Devils have used four lines regularly this season, and that practice has helped the development of players such as
rookie John Madden. But when the unbeaten Devils open the quarterfinals against the Leafs here tomorrow, there will be scant time for development. Only the hot will see their usual ice time, and more.
“I’ll probably end up that way,” Robinson said yesterday at the Devils’ final practice before they head to Canada this morning. “They have a so-called fourth line that plays sparingly, a fourth line that is a momentum changer.”
The Devils’ strength up front is their depth, and when he goes to three lines, Robinson will have serious decisions to make. After Madden’s showing against Florida, it’s hard to imagine the Devils’ fourth line sitting.
Jason Arnott’s line is the Devils’ top offensive trio, while Bobby Holik’s threesome was vital both ways, even though Holik hasn’t scored a goal in 21 playoff games. Scott Gomez and Claude Lemieux are two players the Devils need playing well to support the scoring.
“If I see a line struggling, well, you can’t go with a line that’s not going,” Robinson said. “I’ll probably mix and match.”
Robinson has already cut ice time for some players, such as Petr Sykora and Patrik Elias, during the middle games of the first round. Late in the finale, Robinson went to three lines, sitting Arnott, Gomez and Sykora as he “mixed and matched.”
“With 12 minutes left, I took a guy almost off each line. Arnie was favoring his [sprained right] wrist, Scotty wasn’t doing the job down low and Sykora was having big problems along the wall,” Robinson said.
Those were some high-profile players sitting out as the Devils nursed a one-goal lead. Robinson may choose others to sit if he needs goals, but he already has shown that ice time will not be given without merit.
There will be little room for passengers, as the Devils face what may be their worst matchup after facing what was probably their best.
The Devils are making much of their week-long hiatus after sweeping Florida, and insisting that they were often tired in going 0-3-1 against Toronto this season. There is no question they will need more scoring from their forwards.
The leading goal-scorer among their forwards, Sergei Nemchinov, had zero with four minutes left in the first round. No other forward scored more than once, a total of seven from their forwards, and five from defensemen.
“We need more offense from our guys,” Robinson admitted.
One reason is that the Maple Leafs scored 15 goals on the Devils this season, tied for the most the Devils allowed anyone this year.
“We’re going to be different team than in the regular season, a fresher team,” Arnott said.
Of sitting out late in Game 4, Arnott absolved Robinson. “I kind of gave him the nod that my wrist was pretty sore,” he said. “I was more than happy to cheer the guys on and bring the win home.”
Others uninjured aren’t likely to be so philosophic.
Robinson’s task of devising a strategy to stop Toronto is more complex than the one he faced for Florida and Pavel Bure. The Leafs are led by Mats Sundin, double-shifting lately, with ex-Devil Steve Thomas red-hot. They also have a second line with speedster Sergei Berezin, and Devil-killer Garry Valk.
“I liken Toronto almost to a shark,” Robinson said. “Once they smell blood, they all just go. They are very, very explosive.”
His bench could be that way, too, but for a different reason.
